Mililani’s Mayu Wise leaves state judo slam on the table

Mayu Wise of Mililani ends her high school judo career with three state titles. Dennis Oda / Star-Advertiser

For all the great female judoka who will be competing in the Atlas Insurance Agency/HHSAA Judo State Championships on Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center, a lot of minds will be on a girl who will not be on the mat.

Mililani senior Mayu Wise has won three straight state titles, the only girl from her school to do so. She was expected to go for the slam this year, the first girl to do so since Bree Rapoza of Kamehameha in 2013, but had knee surgery in April.

Seven girls have completed the slam over the years, and Wise joins four other girls who fell just short for various reasons. They all have different stories about not getting the slam.

Tabitha Lum, Maryknoll and McKinley
Lum took state gold in the final three years of her career. She can probably claim to have earned the slam, since the first state tournament didn’t occur until her sophomore year. She won the ILH championship and an islandwide “Goodwill Championships” as a freshman two weeks later.

Tani Ader, Farrington
Ader’s slipup came in the state final in her junior year, but it could hardly be called a mistake. She lost by Wazari to McKinley’s Lianne Tomishima in what might be the best judo match the state has ever seen. Tomishima took the title to complete her slam, becoming the first girl to climb the highest heights and rob Ader of the chance. Ader beat Tomishima the week before for the OIA championship and had the Tiger on her back with a minute left in the five-minute state championship.

Risha Mishima, Hawaii Baptist
Mishima got an early lesson in the sport, meeting Ader in the state final as a freshman and falling to a girl who may have been the top judoka in the state that year. Mishima recovered from the loss to win her first state crown with four ippons the next year and stopped nine of her 12 matches early on her way to three state titles. No other HBA girl has more than two.

Sanoe Spencer, Pearl City
Like Mishima, Spencer’s hopes for four straight state titles ended early. Spencer got caught as a freshman, losing in 58 seconds to Waipahu’s Keisha Marcelino in the state final despite rising from third in the OIA to the state final. She went to three more state finals and ended each of them early including leading the Chargers to the team title as a senior.

Even without Wise, there will be plenty of champions in the girls draw on Saturday.

Kamehameha’s Skye Realin and CJ Pascual-Tabuyo of Mid-Pacific will be going for repeats with the Owl looking to make her third state final. Kapoina Bailey of Konawaena will also look to repeat, and she could see a very familiar face in the final. Bailey is the top seed at 172 and the second seed is none other than OIA champion Kelani Corbett of Leilehua.

Corbett beat Bailey to complete the slam in wrestling to wrap up the winter season and this is Bailey’s chance to atone for the loss. Bailey, who also plays football for the Wildcats, met Corbett twice two years ago, losing to the Mule by han soku make in the first round and then losing to her by han soku make again in the third-place match. Bailey shook off the twin disqualifications to take the state title last year on three ippons with Corbett toiling in another weight class.

Bailey will be going for her second state title and third medal.

Bailey has been to the top of the podium before, the rest of the tournament will be about girls taking that final step after losing in the state final the year before.

Moanalua’s Faith Joy Okubo will be going for her fourth state medal and has reached the final twice but lost by ippon both times. She enters her final tournament as the top seed at 154 pounds.

Tangeteina Niutupuivaha of Kahuku (220), Moanalua’s Taylor Araki (115), Maddy Kogachi of Punahou (103) and Waiakea’s Samantha Yamamoto (98) are also top seeds this year who have lost in a state final before.

Hokulani Bautista of Kapolei (109) and Waiakea’s Raelyn Ai-Yoneda (122) are the other top seeds, neither of them have placed higher than fifth at states.

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